New Year’s Party

During my visit to Palm Springs, I met a very nice gay couple who just happened to know another gay couple who lived in Minneapolis. They offered to send an email to this couple (Michael and Michael– so cute, no?) and sort of introduce me to them.

Which they did.

Which started an email back and forth with one of the Michaels… which then culminated in an invitation to their annual New Year’s Eve party. And I accepted.

Of course, when the time came I was a bit… trepidatious. Freaked out would perhaps be more apt. I hadn’t met either of them yet, and I would be walking into their home full of their family, straight friends, gay friends, and some children (of which they owned two).

Yikes!

Oh, add the wrinkle that they’re kosher Jews (one Michael is a Rabbi!) and I was to bring food– albeit no pork or shellfish. No pressure!

I tried to make a cheese ball (mix of cheeses, chopped cherries, and toasted almonds) as I figured it would be a very benign option. It nearly came out decently.

When I arrived, many people were already there… however the hosts were preoccupied quelling a child who was in mid-tantrum. I was introduced around and did the small talk and the “how do you know the Michaels?” schtick. It was all fine, really.

There was tons of food and everyone was actually super nice and accepting. And I ended up in a lovely conversation with a straight couple who met during college (he went to Eastman, she to Julliard) and he was a percussion major and LOVED drum and bugle corps!

A local celeb also showed up for a time– we have a gay meteorologist at the most popular TV station in town, and he came. Nice guy. Very short and built. TOO tan. And the box he was pushing in his designer jeans was borderline obscene– especially with the children present. I mean, if he’d been taller, it would have been at their eye level and that would have been an accident just waiting to happen!

And ‘Oh’ again… did I mention that Michael and Michael had a lovely jewish friend that they had invited expressly to introduce me to? Yeah. Super nice guy– no chemistry though.

So, overall an interesting evening. Definitely out of my comfort zone, but something good for me to do. I need to extend myself more and meet new people. That’s one of my personal goals for the new year, so it was good to get an early start on it.

I did leave the party shortly after 10 (I arrived at 6:15) and made it home before the drunks. So I rang in the New Year’s by watching Return of the Jedi, reading a book on my iPad, and cuddling my girl Phoebe.

Not bad.

I hope you all had a great and safe New Year’s Eve!